The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1887-08-12
curse with MIN to spend his evenings

oouCSo WlGa ulHl TO sp6nu ais evenings
with Lydia. The amlable enthusiast
piled him with her own notions and
achievements till he became interested
deeply both in her and her work. The
old love, like Aaron's dry rod. bud.
ded and b~lossomed, and he made a
formal proposal to Lydia, who mod.
estly accepted himfor better or worse.
By this time Peter was extremely
bored by birmingham quiet and dull
ness. He was by no means DESTROYS
to spend the rest OF his days
there. His dyspepsia was
better, and he discovered that LYDIA
was an excellent cook and h~ousekeep.
er; consequently he persuaded her to
set an early day for the wedding, and
fastened back to the city to provide
q new home.
OF course, with his moderate means,
he had to buy a house in a block; but
then there are certain conveniences in
single mansion; your neighbors can
not make more outside show than
you do; a block, like death, reduces
men to the same level-apparently, at
least; and whether you wish to havea
characteristic dwelling or not, you
can'thaveit except within. Lydia gasp
ed a little at the idea OF "goin' to York
to live" 1t was a great elevation, and
birmingham people bristled with en-
Wy; but Lydia rather dreaded it. How
ever, Peter soothed her with stories OF
city conventences; a kitchen where the
water, both hot and cold, came into
the sink at her pleasure; no lamps to
fill or trim; no weekly butcher to wait
and stay at home for; all the needs
and luxuries OF life close at hand; I'M
limited meetings and temperance lect-
ures; and utilization awaiting her with
all the women's unions and female
leagues known to her hitherto as dis
tant glories and powers through the
newspapers. What a change from the
one feeble society in birmingham,
where she had only been a member
one OF three-the other six we're all OF.
ficers.
So in due time Lydia was installed
in her new home, along with the will
ing-bound girl and the unwilling cat,
and revelled in the glories OF q city
house with a basement kitchen, a par
lor with red plush furniture and q blue
tapestry carpet; ornamented with
large and forbidding portraits OF Pc
ter in his neatly parted wig, and Sun.
day coat, vis-a-vis with the first
Mrs. Peter, sound and snug in q black
velvet gown. 1t is as cheap to be
painted in velvet as in calico. This
state apartment was kept dark and
still. The square room behind it was
the liveng room, and both Peters and
Lydia's old furnishings were sprinkled
sparsely over the house.
They had very little society, for Pc
ter's social development had always
been small; but Lydia found enough
to do in her new house and her even
ing meetings; and Peter joined mems
temperance society, who held their
meetings in the same building where
Lydia's branch of the women's league
held theirs, so that it was remarkably
convenient for them to go and come
together.
Deprived OF any other outlet for his
busy nature, Peter soon became a
prominent person in the NJ. T. A,
Circle, No. 4. He rose to the
rank of Secretary, and was then
elected Vice President. Lydia had
no such honors showered on her;
naturally modest, she was afraid to
speak before q crowd of strangers,
But while hcr sensitive womanhood
led her to keep silence, she was q reg.
ular attendant and a liberal contrib
utor, so the "sistering'' did not
frown upon her.
Peter, however, was as active as a
bluebottle f1y;he talked and prayed and
worked with vigorous zeal; he button
holed indifferent men and awoke theil
interest; he hauled more than one
youth from the saloons where he was
beginning to slide down the easy de
scent OF degradation, and helped him
to stand thereafter on his feet; and
many q wife, bereft worse than by
death, many a family OF more than
fatherless children, blessed the good
tussy little man who fed and clothed
them, and promptly olappel the
drunken brute who figured as the
"head" OF those desolate households
into the places prepared for such
transgressors.
About q year after Peter set up his
household gods in the uptown block,
tho city was visited by two noted fe.
male apostles OF the temperance cause
Mrs Johnson Park and Miss AIDE,
line Nary. Their eloquence OF speech,
their gifts in prayer, their organizing
powers, their acceptance with the sis,
ters everywhere, were the theme Of
every tongue. Quite Lydia came
home from her weekly meeting full o!
mild enthusiasm; she was carried
away with Sister Park. Never had
she heard such fluent speech. SO clear,
SO convincing, so tender; and as for
Sister Nary, she never heard such a
prayer as tnat woman made-never!
And SO she went on daily, for she
left the household to Betsy Ann and
the cat, and followed these two where.
ever they went to preach or to teach,
in the churches, the halls, the-any.
where. Peter could not but share IL
her interest; he listened to her re
ports OF meetings with both his ears
and all his soul. He looked upon Ly
dia as favored beyond measure, anC
fairly pined to have these wonderful
women admit the general public tc
their presence, and allow them tc
share their gifts and graces; but thu
meetings so far were SO crowded witt
women that there was no place found
for men.
One day Betsey Ann announced tc
Lydia that Somebody's ben movin
into the next house, Mis- Patterson
p'rhaps you're goin' to hev neighbors
that side, eff you haven't got then
t'other.'
1t had been a mystery and atrial tt
Lydia ever since she came to her new
home that her next.door neighbor.
did not call on her. She did not ever
know their She saw a MAJ
leave the mouse after break
fast and return before dinner
and sometimes she saw a lady g
out and take the cross-town cars
nee she had done that at the sam,
time, but she did not quite dare tt
"scrape acquaintance" as she termed
it, and as there was no door.plate OF
the door, she could not address tn
lady by name. 1t seemed o cold un
christian way to live. but after a tim
she became used to it, and in her in
teresting meetings forgot this unpleas
ant state of things. The lett-hant
house had long been empty, but Lydl.